Afropop Stars Inducted Into The Afropop Hall Of Fame

Last week in New York, Public Radio International’s Afropop Worldwide inducted Habib Koité from Mali, Vusi Mahlasela from South Africa, and Dobet Gnahoré from the Ivory Coast into the Afropop Hall of Fame. The 2006 Afropop Hall of Fame took place last Tuesday (11/14) before a rapturous crowd at B.B. King Blues Club in New York City as part of the hugely successful Putumayo Presents: Acoustic Africa nationwide tour.

Afropop Worldwide Executive Producer Sean Barlow said, “for nearly twenty years, we have had the honor of introducing American listeners and more recently the global online community to the music and stories of Africa and the African Diaspora. We created the Afropop Hall of Fame in order to give under-recognized artists the respect and celebration they so richly deserve. They have lifted souls of the ever-widening circle of Afropop fans and we want to give something back to them.” The 2006 inductees join the ranks of past legends Baaba Maal, Youssou N’Dour, Mahotella Queens, and Thomas Mapfumo. All have been honored for their artistic excellence and their significant contribution in connecting Americans with Africa.